I am always working on upping my wellness game but had yet to try acupuncture until about two weeks ago. The same week I got my brows microbladed I went to Ballard Acupuncture Center for my very first treatment!

Developed by the Chinese over 3,000 years ago, acupuncture uses ultra-fine needles to help relieve pain, treat various ailments and achieve a more balanced, energetic state. Avigail Cohen, L.Ac. is the owner of Ballard Acupuncture Center; she’s a licensed acupuncturist and functional medicine practitioner with over 13 years of clinical experience.

I met with Avigail for my appointment, which was about an hour and a half. Most of the time was spent in consultation, where we sat and talked about various aspects of my life - my diet, my fitness regimen, everything I’m working on, and any issues I might be concerned about. This was so she could figure out which points on my body she’d be applying acupuncture to, but I also appreciated the advice she gave along the way. I could always use another reminder to get more sleep, to sleep earlier, and to not take on so much work. 😃After the consultation, I laid down on the massage table for the pin insertion process.

I can’t remember exactly how many pins I ended up having (I’d say around 20 or so), but they spanned my arms, legs, décolletage, feet, neck, hands, and forehead. Some of them I felt a tiny bit of pressure, but most I didn’t feel at all. After they were all inserted, Avigail left me to lay for about 20 minutes and let the acupuncture do its magic. She said most people don’t fall asleep on their first visit, but then she put a heater on my feet and it was game over. I dozed off but woke up with a couple of minutes to spare before she came back in!

I didn’t have any big issues I wanted to take care of, so the acupuncture was mostly for stress relief and soreness from working out. I definitely left feeling a lot more relaxed, and the soreness I was feeling from a big workout the day before had completely disappeared. I slept like a baby that night and for a few nights after!

If you’re considering acupuncture to help treat or aid in anything you’ve got right now - digestion issues, stress, low energy, weight loss, insomnia, anything really - I highly recommend seeing Avigail at Ballard Acupuncture Center. It’s a cozy clinic just one block off of NW Market Street, and her office manager Ryland was extremely helpful and welcoming.

In addition to acupuncture, Ballard Acupuncture Center provides functional medicine, fertility treatments, and other holistic healthcare services. Functional medicine utilizes lab testing to assess all of your body’s systems and help find the root cause of your condition. They view all of their treatments as an ongoing partnership to help create wellness and balance in your life and will work closely with you to find the treatment plan that is right for your body, spirit, and goals.